Aircraft



June 23, 1931. c. B. HARPER 1,811,390

AIRCRAFT Filed April 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 23, 1931.

C. B. HARPER AIRCRAFT Filed April 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I IQVENTOR Carlflfim m;

ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1931 CARL BROWN HARPER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT Application filed April 6, 1929. Berta! No. 852,945.

This invention relates to military aircraft'- aml partieularly to airplanes.

ln standard seout. and lighting planes,'the fuselage is of relatively small depth and the ti gunnefs eompartnwnt or eompartments are ma-essaritv erowded with the result. that the deek and tmmel guns are nulneuvered with great ditlienlty aml partieularly within eerlain ranges. For example the gunner operl ating the deek gun is unable trout lus eram )ed and stooping )nsition to maneuver aml hre the gun with t \e freedom of movement desired and partirula-rly with the gun on the lowestnotehes ot' the gun mount. segments. while, the tunnel gunmay be maneuvered with even greater dillieulty due to the ueeessary squatting position of the gunner. and the praet-ieal el'eet is that the maximum possible range and aeeuraey of lire are suhstantiallv redueed due to these dillienlties. 'lhe oh ieet. of the inventiomis a fuselage aml eoekpit eonstruet-ion pernutting the easy and ready malwuvering and aeeurate tiring ot' eitheror both the deek aml tunnel guns of standard types and mount.

throughout. their maximum possible range,

and without inereasing the normal depth of the fuselage or the normal size of the eoekpits. The invention resides further in a. eonstruetiou of this general eharaeter whieh ran be readily and eeonomieally ineorporated in a standard machine with a miuinnun of ehauges and with no change 111 the gun mount or support.

For a better umlerstamiing ol the invention re't'erenee may he had to the aeeompalrviug drawings fori'ning a part of this application wherein:

l i g. 1 is a side view of an airplane embodyingthe inventon, I

Fig. 2 is a side view of a part. of the fuselage and parts thereof broken away.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the guns in aet-ion,

Fig. 4 is a. sectional view along the lines 4 0f lfig. S

Fig. 5 is a seetional View along the hues 5 of Fig. 2. and

Fig. ti is a plan view of the fu elage with certain parts broken away.

'indieated upon the lowered platt'ornu may T have illustrated my invention as being embodied in an airplane having a fuselage l upper aml lower wings 2; a power plant 3. a landing gear 4 and a. tail control unit ineluding a horizontal tin aml an elevator strueture 5.. The maehine illustrated is a two plat-e .nnu'hino having a forward eoekpit. ti and a rear eoek iii 7. About the upper mrt. ol' the latter eoeltpit. is disposed a standard gun mount h, the gun mount. being lit'table aml lowerable about a segment or segments It) and the gun, of course, is universally mounted for maneuvering in all planes while at. any level on the segments. tunnel gun It is provided just to the rear of the eoekpit 7 and this gun It is carried by a parallelogram mount ll \\'llltll is swivelled about a support at 13 earried by the framework of the fuselage l.

The fuselage l is of thesmall depth and small dimensions desired for lighting or seout. planes ot'the eharaeter in'dieated and the eorkpit- 7 is of suehsmall dimensions both in depth and laterally as to render it dillienlt for the gunner or gunners to operate and 7 aeeurately lire the guns through their maximum range and this eondition is aggravated by the equipment ordinarily eontained in the eoekpit'. l have, therefore. devised a body or fuselage ronstruetion whieh enables the it gunner or gunners to operate either or both the deek aml tunnel guns with a minimum of ell'ortand ineonrenienee and with greater aeeuraey of tire. 'lo this end 1 lmve'devised a speeial lowerable platform If) in the eoek- S pit 7 for the gunners this platform 15 being normally held in a po ition within the eoekpit 7 with the bottom surfaee thereof forming a continuation of the bottom surfaee of the fuselage. but being adapted to bedropped down to the position indieated in Figs. 3 aml 4 to t'aeilitate the gun operations. The gain ner. \vhileassuming a kneeling position as lit) get at. aml ell'eetively handle and maneuver the tunnel gun ll throughout. its whole range. 'lhe same lowered platform may be used by the gunner operating the deek gun 9. the gunner in this ease being able to remain'in a standing position and etl'etftively operate the :ck gun even from its lowermost level on e segments of the gun mount. The platrm is preferably co-extensive with the idth of the cockpit 7 and is conveniently vrried by two pairs of guiding sleeves 16 \d 17 on either side, the sleeves 16 being lided along vertical fuselage frame mem- :rs 18 and the sleeves 17 being guided along :rtical fuselage frame members 19. The ame members 19 may be of the usual tubur vertical frame members bridging the pper and lower longrons 20 and 21. The iides 18 are Welded or otherwise fastened their lower ends to the longrons 21 and at leir upper ends to the diagonal braces or 'ame members 22. The platform 15 is prefably biased in an upward direction at all mes so as to provide for" the lifting of the ,me without effort on the part of the gunner. or this purpose I have shown the frame as )rmally sustained in its upward position by .eans of elastic cords 23 and 24 there being vo sets of these cords one on either side of le platform. The elastic cords 23 are in airs and are fastened at one end at the oints 25 and 26 to the fuselage frame struclre. The elastics then pass over pulleys 27 ad then are fastened at their other ends to re opposite sides of a sleeve 17, the-guide ulleys 27 being carried by any part of the Fame-work, for example, by the vertical fame members 19. Similarly the elastics 24 re connected at one end to the fuselage frame [3 the point 26 and pass over pulleys 28 car- .ed, as for example, by the diagonals 22 the ther ends of the elastics being connected to 1e sleeves 16. Any suitable lower and upper :opping and limiting means may be proided for the platform and in the particular rnbodiment shown the sleeves 16 engage the )ngrons 21 in their lowermost position 'hile the guides 17 engage and are stopped in 1611' lowermost position 'by the stops 19 on ie vertical member 19. Similarly any suitble stopping devices or means may be proided for the upper limit and in the particul1 embodiment shown the sleeves 16 are arested in their movement by engagement with he diagonals 22 while, if desired, lugs 29 my be provided on the vertical frame memers 19 to arrest the upward movement of the leeves 17 when the platform is moved up by he elastic cord means shown. Any suitable iea-ns may be also provided for locking the 'latform in its upper and lower positions, as or example the upper latches 30 and the )WEI latches 31 for engaging the lower and .pper sides of lugs 32 formed on the guide leeves 17. I have also indicated a hand conrol means 33 for disengaging and engaging he latches 30 and 31 and locking the platorm in either of its operative positions vgainst movement. In the particular emodiinent shown the latches 30 and 31 are in he form of bell crank levers which are pivoted to the vertical frame members 19 and which are connected by links 34 the latter being operative by the hand lever operating means 33. By pressing downwardly on the hand control device 33 the upper latches are disengaged and by lifting up upon the levers the lower latches 31 are disengaged and the latches as usual are provided with bevelled surfaces on their backs to facilitate the automatic locking engagement.

In the particular embodiment shown the platform 15 is mounted in the rear of the cockpit in order to enable the gunner to kneel closely to the tunnel gun 11 when the platform is brought to its lowest position. The platform is providedwith a floor 35, vertical side plates or walls 36, transverse fore and aft steps 37 and 38 and the fore and aft streamlined walls 39 and 40, the side walls 36 carrying the guide sleeves 16 and 17 and forming the main support for the platform. The side walls 36 also carry fore and aft extending steps 41 disposed at a higher level than the steps 37, 38. A seat structure 42 is carried by transverse members 42 which in turn are carried by the sides 36 of the platform, the members 42' being pivoted on axis 43 on one side to the parts or lugs 44 (welded to a. side 36) to permit movement of the seat to one side out of the way when the platform is to be lowered for use. The seat support members 42. when down engage at their free ends the socket or spring holding members 44 which are welded to a side member or wall 36.

Normally the platform 15 is supported substantially on a level with the lower longrons 21 the elastic cord means biasing the platform to its uppermost position and the latches 3O engaging and positively holding the platform in its upper position. When it is desired to engage in gun practice the platform is unlocked, seat 42 is moved over to one side and the gunner by resting his foot upon the platform carries it down to its lowermost position against the tension of the elastic cords and there it is locked in this position by the latches 31. This increases the effective depth of the fuselage at this point and enables the gunner while in full standing posi tion and with very little stooping necessary to operate the deck gun 9 from any level, the

gunner being entirely free from cramped or inconvenient positions. Moreover, as indicated in Fig. 1, it enables the deck gun to be effectively operated from its lowest level namely substantially on a level with the horizontal tail control 5', thereby reducing the angle of obstruction due to the horizontal control to a minimum. As indicated in Fig. 3 the gunner by kneeling down on the lowerable platform may maneuver and handle the tunnel gun 11 throughout its maximum range with a minimum of effort and discomfort.

By disengaging the latches 31 and removing the weight from the platform it is automatically returned to its upmost position by the further characterized by its simplicity in constrm-tion. small number of parts and the ease and facility with which it may be embodied in standard machines.

While I have shown my invention as embodies in an airplane it is understood that certain features thereof are e uall v applicable to aircraft of the lighter t Ian air type.

I claim:

1. In an airplane a body having a gunners compartment therein. a deck gun mount near the upper part of said mmpart-mcnt. a t-npnel gun mount adjacent the lower partof said compartment, a lowerable platform. in the com )artmcnt. adjacent the tunnel gun mount w ich is normally on a level with the bottom of the bodv. said platform being movable independent v of the gun mounts to a position substantially lower than the compart ment .fioor upon which platform the gunner may stand to oicrafe a gun on the deck mount or may knee to operate a gun on the tunnel mount.

2. In an airplane of the character set forth in claim I wherein means are provided for vieldingly urging the movable ilattorm in an n \tll'tl direct ion together wit-l1 means for lmlilllg the platform either in the upper position or the lower position.

3. In an airplauc a body haviu; a gunnefis compartmcnt therein, a tunnel gran mount adjacent the bottom of said coln 'uirtmcnt. said compartmentincluding a platform which is normally on a level with the bottom of the body but which is movable to a. position substantially below its normal level and below the level of the an mount to facilitate the maneuvering of the an by the gunner resting upon the l0WQIQtflJltli-ffitlll.

4. In an airplane of the character set forth in claim 3 wherein means are provided for locking the movable platform in its upper and lower positions together. with elastic menus for automatically retracting the floor to its upper position.

ii, In an airplane of the character set forth in claim-3 wherein means are provided for locking the movable platform in its upper and lower positions together with elastic means for automatically retracting the floor to its up )crposition. said platform-being provided with s eeve guiding means whichtraverso fixed guides on the body framework.

t). In an airplane a fuselage having a gunners compartment therein, a gun mount carried by the craft, a seat in said compartment which is'movablo to one side thereof to an inoperative position a lowerable supporting .maueuvering of the runs.

platform means in said compartment which normally occupies a position on a level with the bottom of the fuselage but which is retractable independently of the gun mouutto 'a position substantially below its normal level ercby the gunner may by support ing himself upon the lowered supporting: platform means and-with the seat moved to one side conveniently and effectively operate the gun throughout its range.

7. In an airplane of the character setforthin claim 6 wherein a. tunnel gun mount is provided adjacent 'the movable. platform supportiup' means whercbv the gunner may by kneeling upon the lowered platform means operate and maneuver the tunnel gun throughout its range.

S. In an airplane of the character set forth in claim (3 wherein a tunnel 'grun mount is provided adjacent the movable plat form supporting mcaus whereby the gunner mavby kncclingr upon the lowered platform operate and maneuver the tunnel gun throughout its range, the platform being: provided with means for streamlining it into the fuselage in the lower posit-ion.

t). In an airplane of the character set forth in claim I wherein means are provided for locking, the movable platform in its upper and lower positions together with means for yield ingly urging the platform in an upward direction.

10. In an airplane of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein means are provided for locking! the movable platform in its upper and lower positions together with means for vicldimrly urging the platform in an llPWttlt .(litocl-iom said plat-form being guided in its movements bv sleeves sliding on vertical frame members oi the body.

ll. In an' airplane of the character set forth in claim I wherein means are provided for streamlining the lowered platform into the bottom of the. body.

12. In an airplane of the character set forth in claim 1. wherein the platform is rovided with steps for the purpose set fort 13. In an airplane oithe. character set forth in claim 1 wherein a seat is carried by the platform.

14. In an airplane of the character set forth'in claim 1 wherein a seat is carried'by the platform and is pivot-ally mounted for movement from its operative position.

.15. In a. high speed airplane a fuselage having fixedly mounted thereon a dock gun mount Sllfipmliand a tunnel gun'support toetherwith a cockpit; which normally has the depth of the fuselage but is capabloof extension at the will of the gunner independontly of the gun mounts for facilitating the by the lowerable supporting platformmeans.

17. In an aeroplane of the character set forth in claim 3 wherein the movable platform is disposed in the rear of the compartment adjacent the tunnel gun.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this s ecification.

G L BROWN HARPER. 

